Referring to FIG. 1, it is now a conventional practice in modern supermarkets and other places where fresh fruits, vegetables and other moist and tender foods and the like are maintained on display for selection, purchase or consumption in a non-packaged or open-packaged condition, to continually bathe that merchandise in a gentle current of cool air. Where that air is cooler than ambient air, as is generally the case, it is practical to display the produce or the like in a forwardly and downwardly sloping, upwardly open array 10 of receptacles 12 of loose and/or exposed produce P, to input cool air CA to the display array along its upper, rear margin, e.g., through a series of forwardly opening outlets 14, and to collect the air stream CA through a series of rearwardly opening inlets 16 arranged along the lower, front margin of the display surface 10.
The display surface 10 is perimetrically surrounded by an upstanding wall 17, e.g., about ten centimeters high, so that by using proper airflow management, the volume of space defined in the surface 10 up to a sloping level above that of the displayed produce P, e.g., up to but not substantially above the upper margin 18 of the upstanding wall 17 can be kept bathed in a gentle current of cool air.
Out of view, the air stream CA collected in the inlets 16 is cooled, dehumidified or humidified, if desired, filtered and pumped to the air outlets 14. Recycle can vary from zero to total, with make-up air being drawn from the ambient space and non-recycled air being lost to the ambient space. Conventional display cases, including refrigeration systems for accomplishing such air flow management are well known and commercially available and will be adequately understood by those skilled in the art without need for further details to be presented herein.
It is well known that the ability of air to carry moisture in vapor form is temperature-sensitive, notably that cooler air has a lower moisture-carrying capacity than warmer air. It is further known that the merchandising of delicate produce in loose form or in open containers is a delicate art, in that a dynamic balance must be continually sought between maintaining a fresh, crisp look, feel and smell to the goods, and rapidly turning the inventory on the one hand, with minimizing the effect that inventory shrinkage through spoilage, and distress selling have on profit margins and image.
The conventional airflow management system is an important tool which enjoyed considerable success in the trade in helping to shift that balance in the direction of higher profitability and better product appearance and image. However, as with many improvements, once use of the improvement has become fairly ubiquitous, it is largely taken for granted, and rather than being appreciated for the advantage the improvement represents, the natural human tendency is to focus on the lack of perfection inherent in the improvement and thus the need for further improvements.
So, too, in the present instance those in the trade remain dissatisfied with the rate that the conventional produce-keeping system permits some tender produce to age and deteriorate before it can be dispensed, sold or consumed from the display. It is seen that a large part of the problem is the fact that in the conventional system, there is too great a flow of too turbulent cool air in region closest to exposed surfaces of the produce. The result is too rapid moisture-loss by the produce with attendant wilting, loss of crispness and apparent freshness.
In some instances, the answer would be to simply cover the bins, trays, recesses, mounds of produce with transparent films, domes or lids of clear plastic, glass or the like.
However, for many types of delicate, tender produce and for many merchandising situations, there are at least three reasons why such an answer would be wrong. First, cutting-off the potential consumer from being able to directly sense the merchandise without an intervening barrier can be a serious mistake. Some people will not take the step of lifting a lid, removing a cover or the like, to get at the produce; it takes an additional hand to do that, which can be difficult if the person is already carrying a package or purse and needs to use tongs to turn-over, select and abstract the produce. And there are many who, once having removed a lid or lifted a covering will not properly replace it. Second, cutting off the produce from direct heat exchange relation with the cool air reduces the efficiency of the refrigeration process. And third, by completely encapsulating the produce, humidity within the enclosure can rise to such a level that losses due to more rapid growth of yeasts, molds, algae, fungi and bacteria can become intolerable. Condensate forming on the inner surface of the enclosure due to the high humidity can obscure the produce, and thus defeat the purpose of putting it on display.
The present invention grew out of attention paid by the inventor to the current level of dissatisfaction in the trade, with a view towards finding a solution which would give its users a competitive edge in comparison with users of the heretofore conventional practices and equipment.